TURKEY: German Chancellor’s Visit & more – 4th Nov 2025

Merhaba from BA! This is the Rorshok Turkey Update from the 4th of November twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what's going down in Turkey.

On Thursday the 30th of October, Friedrich Merz, the German Chancellor, in his first visit to Turkey, met with President Erdogan in Ankara and both leaders announced a fresh phase in relations between Turkey and the European Union. Merz said that amid a changing geopolitical era, Germany and Europe see Turkey as a close partner of the EU, and pledged to launch a new strategic dialogue with the government.

Erdogan said that if his government finds a matching response in Europe, Turkey could make serious progress on EU membership quickly. At the joint press conference, they also touched on migration, trade and defense cooperation—and hinted that security ties would deepen in the months ahead.

Still in meetings, on Monday the 3rd of November, Hakan Fidan, the foreign minister, gathered his counterparts from Muslim-majority countries in Istanbul under the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation or ISEDAK, a Turkey-led platform that promotes trade and political dialogue among Islamic countries. During the meeting, he pushed for stronger coordination on Gaza. The gathering focused on protecting the ceasefire, delivering aid, and holding Israel accountable for civilian harm.

The ministers also discussed long-term reconstruction plans and regional security. Online discussions praised the initiative while also questioning whether symbolic meetings can bring real change on the ground.

In that same conference, President Erdoğan announced that Turkey will launch a special support program for Syria under the ISEDAK framework. He said Turkey is encouraging private-sector investments in Syria now that the US and the European Union are lifting certain sanctions. Erdoğan outlined that the program will back projects in education, specialist exchanges, feasibility studies and transport infrastructure, through ISEDAK’s member network.

On Monday the 3rd, the Higher Education Council (or YÖK) rejected claims that the university diploma of Hakan Fidan was invalid. The statement followed criticism from Namık Tan, a member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party or CHP, who said Fidan began his master’s degree at Bilkent University before receiving degree recognition from YÖK.

YÖK said there was no irregularity, explaining that Fidan completed his undergraduate studies in political science program at the then University of Maryland University College in Germany in nineteen ninety-seven. According to YÖK, students could begin graduate studies before receiving degree validation under the nineteen ninety-six regulation. The council added that Fidan’s diploma was officially recognized in nineteen ninety-eight.

The debate stirred strong reactions online, reviving old discussions about transparency in officials’ education records.

Also, on Monday the 3rd, Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party, surprised many with his comments about Selahattin Demirtaş, the former co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party. Bahçeli said Demirtaş’s release would be positive for Turkey, citing the European Court of Human Rights or ECHR’s ruling that said his long detention violated his rights.

Demirtaş has been in prison since twenty sixteen, accused of inciting protests during the twenty fourteen clashes in the Syrian border town of Kobani. The ECHR ruled in July that his arrest in the case was unlawful, and the decision became final this week after Turkey’s appeal failed. His detention has long been seen as a major test of Turkey’s rule of law and human rights record.

Just a day before, on Sunday the 2nd, Turkey and Iraq signed a deal to accelerate water projects across Iraq, a move expected to ease shortages and strengthen trade ties. The plan links Iraq’s oil revenues to funding for Turkish-built dams, irrigation, and treatment plants.

For Iraq, it offers a path to stabilize farming; for Turkey, it means more contracts for its construction sector. The deal also builds political goodwill between neighbors that have often clashed over water flow from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Many people online saw it as a quiet but clever example of soft power diplomacy that mixes business with stability.

Energy and trade weren’t the only economic topics drawing notice. On Sunday the 2nd, Turkish refineries began cutting Russian oil imports after new Western sanctions complicated logistics and payments. The change forced major plants to look toward suppliers in the Middle East and Africa. Industry officials said the move would reduce dependence on Russia and spread political risk.

For drivers, the adjustment might cause small fuel price bumps, but it also shields Turkey from sudden sanctions-related supply shocks. Economists said the shift fits the government’s careful balancing act—reducing reliance on Russian oil while keeping cooperation alive in other areas such as gas, trade, and energy projects. The decision highlighted how global sanctions still ripple through Turkish pumps and wallets.

The week's biggest domestic shake-up came from the world of football. On Saturday the 1st, the Turkish Football Federation suspended 149 referees and assistants after a major betting investigation exposed widespread gambling. Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu, the federation president, framed the move as a clean-up operation to protect the sport’s integrity. The suspensions included experienced referees and signaled deeper trouble in local leagues. Fans exploded online, demanding transparency and reform.

For many people, it was both shocking and oddly satisfying to see action finally taken in a country where justice rarely seems to reach the powerful. The federation promised further probes, while sponsors quietly evaluated their ties.

Next up, on Sunday the 2nd, Iranian businessman Hüseyin Azari went to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office to accuse Emir Sarıgül, the son of Mustafa Sarıgül, a well-known politician from the CHP, of major fraud. Azari said Sarıgül tricked him into investing about 250 million lira, about six million dollars,in fake property projects.

He said Sarıgül used his father’s name to build trust and said that some of the projects had presidential approval. When Azari checked later, he found no building permits or official records for any of the sites. Reports said Sarıgül also dropped other local politicians’ names to gain credibility. Prosecutors are now reviewing the complaint, while Sarıgül remains silent on the accusations.

Meanwhile, the economy offered one rare bit of good news. On Monday the 3rd, the Turkish Statistical Institute reported that annual inflation slowed slightly to below 33% in October. In September, the number was almost 33.3%. While prices remain painfully high for food and rent, the easing gave households a small relief.

Economists called it a modest but positive sign that the central bank’s recent rate hikes are starting to bite. For everyday shoppers, that means grocery bills may rise a little slower, though not stop altogether.

However, the Independent Inflation Research Group painted a different picture, estimating that the annual inflation stood at nearly 60% higher than last year. The gap between official and independent data kept the debate over real inflation alive.

Economic challenges weren’t the only issue testing public trust. On Saturday the 1st, President Erdogan inaugurated a vast new park on the grounds of the old Atatürk Airport in Istanbul. Named the Nation’s Garden, the project aims to give residents more green space and reduce city congestion.

Supporters celebrated the opening as a symbol of urban renewal, while critics online questioned the park’s cost and long-term maintenance. For Istanbulites, it’s both a new public space and a reminder of how development debates shape daily life.

Whether seen as a gift to the city or a costly showpiece, the park became another symbol of Erdogan’s mark on Turkey’s landscape.

Finally, on Sunday the 2nd, a doctor diagnosed a rare and incurable disease known as cat AIDS in a kitten named Kasım in Sivas. The illness, officially called Feline Immunodeficiency Virus or FIV, weakens a cat’s immune system much like HIV does in humans. The veterinarian who treated the five-month-old kitten, said he ran tests after finding multiple infections and discovered Kasım carried the virus.

FIV spreads mainly through bites and close contact between cats but cannot infect humans. Symptoms may take years to appear, yet infected animals become more vulnerable to other diseases. The vet advised pet owners to take stray and outdoor cats for regular checkups to prevent outbreaks. He added that there’s no cure, only long-term care.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

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